Like Father, Like Daughter
by 1Superman4Me
Summary: Nori Kent, A.K.A Ottergirl, has successfully started her new career. But, sometimes, there are jobs that you can't handle alone. Sometimes even heroes can be afraid. Sequel to The Foundling. Warning: Mentions child abuse.
1. Chapter 1

Despite all my best efforts, I wake up hyperventilating. Since I can't even manage to speak, Pa hands me a sandwich bag. When my breathing eventually slows down, he looks at me.

"Better?"

I nod.

"Just a really bad dream. I was trapped in my old room and it kept getting smaller and smaller. I couldn't even yell for help...I was too scared."

Pa hugs me.

"Well, you're [safe] now."

I smile.

"I know that. I'll always be safe with you. You're my hero. Even though you protect a lot more people than just me. Take it from me, Metropolis is huge!"

He smiles.

"It's no surprise to me that you know that, my little genius."

I'm 12 and I have an I.Q. of 175. I've graduated high school and I'm 4 feet 6 inches tall. I notice the clock. Almost time to go to work. It's not long before I'm ready to go. I grin.

"Race you!" "Fair enough."

Once we're both outside his apartment with the door closed, he clears his throat.

"On your mark. Ready? Get set. Go!"

I run to the Daily Planet, as fast as I can, grinning all the way.

"I'm going to win!"

I do end up winning.

"My own daughter beats me. Where's the justice in that?"

I smile.

"I may be a genius but I'm not sure where it is. Perhaps Superman fights for it?"

Pa rolls his eyes. It was a little humor pointed at him. My Pa is Clark Kent, A.K.A Superman. I'm Nori Kent, A.K.A Ottergirl. Yeah, that's me. Otterness and all. Unlike my Pa, however, I'm a junior reporter.

I walk in, remembering how startled I was when I visited here the first time. Well, technically, it was my second time. During my first visit, I was in a briefcase. Don't ask.

That doesn't bring up the best memories for me, since I'm claustrophobic. Of course, I have other memories that are much worse...I feel myself shake a little bit.

I don't like remembering Mom. She's dead now though. Shortly after she died, Pa found me. If you've read the story about my time in court, well, you know what happened next. I became, as Jimmy put it on Independence Day, Clark's kid.

He's been there for all the nightmares that I've had because of the, as Aunt Linda refers to it, hell my Mom put me through. Aunt Linda is what I call Pa's cousin, Linda Lee, A.K.A Supergirl. She was waiting for me at home when Pa took me back from the time I ran away. I got lost. Hey, I said Metropolis is a big city. There's parts of it I haven't seen yet. But I think I know the city well enough to do my other job.

Grandma made the uniform for it. Knowing who my Pa is, I think you can guess who she and Grandpa are. Let me give you a hint. They live in Smallville, Kansas. Nice place. My second home. Pa took me to their place for my second visit when I got really sick. If you can't figure out who they are by now, well, their real names are Jonathan and Martha Kent. Pa said once that they're responsible for making him who he is. So, yeah, they're good people to have as part of my family.

I know I'll always be [safe] when I'm with them or any member of my [family] for that matter. Little bit of Otter language for you there. I understand and speak it fluently, plus I'm giving lessons to Pa and Aunt Linda. Pa knows more words but they're both really good at speaking it. That's good because I find hearing them speak Otter language comforting. When I'm in Otter form, it's all I can speak so they should know a few words.

What else should you know about me? Oh.

I'm not afraid of green-eyed women anymore (Mom had green eyes) and I'm working on my fear of closed closets. Hey, those bring back really bad memories for me. I really like being in water. That makes sense, doesn't it?

My first friend is Flash. Yeah, I've been to the Watchtower. It has an awesome view. As far as other friends, Liberty (my stuffed otter that I won from a watermelon eating contest on Independence Day) doesn't really count, right? So, you could say that Lois and Jimmy are my friends. Jimmy was the first person that I rescued as Ottergirl. He's a photographer, so you can see how my costume looks. Coincidentally, a song called The Middle really helps me with my fears. Where's the coincidence, you ask? The name of the band that plays it is called Jimmy Eat World. Pa will sometimes sing lyrics of that song to me when I'm afraid. Like I said, it really helps. Just ask Flash.

He saw firsthand what that song does for me. Other than my family, he's the only one who knows about my otterness. I made that word up. Pa refers to it as my "more special qualities". As a reporter, he's good with words. Just look at his notebook on me. I confess, that's what made me run away because, at first, I wasn't sure what to make of it. But now, I think it's really cool reading it. I like to read. With an I.Q. as high as mine, that's no surprise, is it? Obviously I like to write too. Look who my Pa is.

"Hi C.K. Hi Nori."

I smile.

"Hi Jimmy. Chief want us Pa, Lois, and I A.S.A.P?" "You **are** smart!"

I head to Perry White, A.K.A Chief's office. He wants an interview with Ottergirl. That just may complicate things.

Once we're out of Chief's office, Pa whispers to me in a voice only I can hear. I've got really good hearing. It's even better when I'm in Otter form. Same thing goes for my sight and sense of smell.

"I'll cover for you, [my Nori.]"

I nod. Soon, I reappear on the roof of the Daily Planet as Ottergirl. Nice view. I can see my house from here. I ignore the sight of my old house. Though I do wonder if my stuff is still in there. If it is, I should go get it someday. I want Pa to see my high school diploma. I know it's something he'd like to see.

First things first. Pa and Lois appear on the roof of the Daily Planet.

"I'm Ottergirl. I heard you guys wanted to give me an interview..."


	2. Chapter 2

The interview is going well but, personally, I find answering Pa's questions a little bit easier. Lois asks questions that are a little bit harder, but I find it...refreshing telling her about my otterness. Then she asks a question that makes me pause.

"How old are you?"

I think about it, but, only for a second, because I don't want her to get suspicious.

"How old do I look to you? I'm sure your reporter's eye can lead you to a good number."

Pa furtively gives me a thumbs up. I smile.

"And how long have you had your...powers?" "Well, Lois, I've had them for as long as I can remember."

That's kind of the truth. Lois asks me my last question.

"What do you fight for?" "Well, I was going to say Truth, Justice, and the American Way, but I don't want to be accused of copyright infringement. So, I'll tell you, like I told a certain someone else, that I fight for the underdogs. Underotters doesn't sound right to me. Anyway, I want them to know that them can come out on top. That they can be triumphant. I'd tell you more but this is a big city. Someone might need saving. And as for a hero to save whoever it is, it might as well be me. Because somebody's got to do it."

With those words, I leave, with a smile on my face. I can see why Pa likes this job so much. The feeling that I get while doing it is awesome. It's not too long before I appear in the supply closet. Pa said that it's a good place. I leave the closet carrying a bottle of White-Out. Jimmy notices me.

"Nervous about your first article, Nori?" "A little bit, yeah. Pa did give me some tips, though." "He and Lois are real good at that."

I nod.

"I know that, but I figured it couldn't hurt to have this any way." "I'm just glad that photographers don't need White-Out. They don't get writer's cramp either."

I scowl at him.

"Rub it in, why don't you?"

He chuckles.

"Yeah, sorry about that." "It's O.K. I like my job."

He ruffles my hair.

"It does run in your family."

When he heads off, I fix my hair. If he only knew! I head to my desk. It's next to Pa's. I place the White-Out on it, then sit down in my chair. The material doesn't feel weird against my tail, so I'm fine. I start typing up my first article. When Lois asks a spelling question, I end up answering it before Pa does.

"Great! There's a twelve year old who can spell better than I can!"

I smirk.

"Guilty as charged!"

A laugh spreads through the newsroom. I love the sound of laughter. Especially Pa's. The feeling it gives me is great. Later, I hand the completed article to Chief.

"You're a good writer, kid. A real credit to Kent, here."

I smile.

"Thanks. That means a lot to me. I like knowing that I made my Pa proud. BUt my name's not kid. It's **Nori**." "I'll remember that. It sounds better than Kent 2."

I nod.

"Good."

At lunch time, Pa looks at me.

"Looks like Lois is starting to rub off on you." "I just prefer being called by my name, that's all."

He nods, knowing the reason behind that all too well.

"So, how are you liking work so far?" "It's good. Nothing I can't handle." "You just let me know when you need help, all right?"

I nod and continue eating my all time favorite, shrimp sushi. So good. I don't even need the soy sauce. Though, out of curiosity, I did try a little bit of the wasabi. Don't like it. The pickled ginger was O.K, but I like the sushi way better. Can you blame me?

As far as drink choices go, I like water. But I decided to try lemonade today. It's pretty good. I look around. I tend to do that sometimes. Probably a nervous habit. I finish my food and start heading back to the Planet. On my way there, I notice my old house. It's still for sale. Though part of me wants to see if my stuff is still there, I think it would be better if I waited until after work. I tell Pa this and he smiles.

"Take all the time you need, my Nori. I know some of the things that house holds for you."

I nod, feeling grateful that he didn't mention anything to do with my worst memories. Later, with Pa at my side, I do end up going inside my old house. I know I'm safe with him, but I have more than enough reason to be nervous while in here.

A small part of me is expecting Mom to come in any minute.


	3. Chapter 3

Review, if you please.

* * *

Shaking a little bit, I look at the closed doors.

"It's O.K [Nori.] You're [safe.] She **can't** get you."

I nod as I slowly stop shaking.

"Well, this is it Pa. This was home."

My voice quivers a bit at first. Pa notices the staircase, knowing my bad memory linked to it. 10 steps that I was pushed down at age 7.

I walk up them. They've never seemed so big before. My tail trembles a little with every step. It feels like such a long time before I'm at the top. I keep repeating, in my mind, that I'm [safe.]

Finally, I arrive at the top. I look around, my tail still trembling a little bit. I guess Pa noticed.

"It's O.K [my Nori.] You're [safe] with me. Everything will be alright."

Not trusting myself to say anything, in English or Otter, I just nod. It's not long before I open the door to the room with my closet. Though my hand trembles a little as I do.

I notice the closet's closed. How appropriate.

I open it and stare at my stuff. It is still here.

My Superman picture smiles at us. I take it out, not sure what to do with it. Underneath is another Superman picture, but this one has glasses. Just in case, I hid that one better than the Superman picture without glasses. These are really the only pictures I had. Pa smiles.

"I like the second one better."

I nod.

There's my high school diploma. I kept the tassel but Mom burned the cap and gown. I barely managed to hide the diploma from her. The rest of my possessions (besides my too-small clothes) are mainly three books.

A first aid book, a book with some of Pa's Superman articles, (the ones where children are rescued), and my diary. I made the last two books myself. The last entry in the diary was written on the day before Pa found me. It's full of stories of my life before him. There's a really short pencil under it.

I put the Superman pictures inside my Superman book, then hand everything (except the pencil) to Pa. The covers of the books that I made are blue. The first aid book is worn, but all the pages are still there. I look around.

"Yes, we can go now, [Nori.]"

I nod. As I head out with Pa, I make sure to leave my closet open. I'm not sure what to do with the pencil.

Finally, we arrive at my new home. When we get inside, my tail stops trembling. I finally manage to speak. It's a whisper at first though.

"What should I do with the pencil, Pa?"

Only the last word of my question comes out at a decibel level that's appropriate for a normal conversation.

"I'll find a good place for it, [my Nori.]"

My hand shakes a little as I give the pencil to him. With his empty hand, Pa reassuringly squeezes my hand that shook. A smile appears on my face.

"Thank you Pa." "You're welcome Nori."

I let him read the books I made. When he notices the thing that all the articles I kept about Superman have in common subject wise, I see concern in his eyes. I look down as tears start to well up in mine.

"[Nori], I understand now what you really meant when you said my articles on Superman gave you hope. I understand and I'm sorry."

I nod as one of my tears falls to the floor. He hugs me.

"I'll always be there to give you hope, [my Nori.] **Always**."

A smile comes to my face as I hug him back.

"Thank you so much, Pa."

He smiles.

"I have to be here for something, don't I?"

After he puts my pencil in a place of honor, Pa opens my diary. The first page says: **Nori**'s View of Metropolis or What the Daily Planet Won't Tell You. Before he flips the page, I tell Pa not to read out loud. He nods.

"I wasn't going to. I know it's something you don't want to hear and I can't say that I blame you."

I nod.

"Now you can see my...articles. I don't think that there are any of them that would make headlines in the newspaper. I...don't know what else to say."

He nods.

"I understand. Well...I know you get my point."

I nod.


	4. Chapter 4

Clark's P.O.V

* * *

I flip the page and look at Nori's writing. Each word I read inside my head, knowing that I'll never forget them.

"I am 6 years old. I guess my name must be Freak. Mom calls me that a lot. I am writing this so I can give it to Superman when he finds me. He has to save me from her some day. She's really mean. I'm scared of her. I wake up scared because, since today's not my birthday, she's going to hurt me again. She's not going to give me enough to eat again. I want to escape but where would I go? I think Superman would be able to find me better if I escaped. But, right now, I feel too tired. I could get some sleep. I finished my chores. No. I guess I'm not going to sleep. I have to hide this now. Mom's home."

I flip the page.

"So sore. Why does Mom do this to me? I thought families didn't do stuff like this to each other. At least I don't feel cold anymore. Mom had me stay in the refrigerator for a while. Good thing I'm an expert at holding my breath. It was scary in there. Scarier than my room. When is Superman going to find me? He's rescued kids before. Maybe it's because of my tail. Does he know about that? Has he seen it? Does he think that I'm a Freak like Mom does? No. He can't think that. I can see that he's nice. Well, I can tell he's nice from what Clark Kent writes about him. I want someone nice for Christmas. It's coming up soon. But I guess I'm not as good a girl as I thought I was. All I got last Christmas was pain."

Nori hasn't had a **real** Christmas? I flip a few more pages and discover the day she gave herself her name.

"I am 7 years old now. I'm not going to put up with the name Freak. So, today, I decided to name myself. I am going to call myself Nori. It may be a kind of seaweed, but I think it's pretty. Seaweed is in sushi and I **love** sushi. Especially shrimp. I just wish I could get it on a day other than my birthday. Maybe Superman will give me sushi when I find him? Until then, I guess I'll just have to see if I can get my Mom to call me Nori. On second thought, no I won't. I don't want to learn another lesson the hard way. I'll just tell myself that I'm Nori. Not Freak but Nori. Nori, the girl who can shift into an otter just like that. I have a power that Superman doesn't. I wonder what he'd say if I told him that. Even if he doesn't like that, I do. I don't think knowing that I can shift into an otter as easy as breathing will make it so I don't have nightmares though. I'm always waking up scared. I know Halloween will be soon enough. I guess Mom doesn't think I'll like candy. Then Thanksgiving will come. But the only thing that I can think of to be thankful for is my new name. Whoever put happy before names of holidays must not have had me in mind. For me, the only day that's happy is my birthday. Maybe when Superman finds me that will change? I know he has to find me soon. Our house isn't lined with lead."

I flip through some more pages. I see the one written the day after her 12th birthday. It's a short entry.

"I just lost my brother today. Well, he was like a brother. He told me I was his sister. Why did he have to die? Haven't I been through enough? Does anybody even care? No. He was just an otter to them. But, to me, he was my brother. I miss him already. I wish I could've told him Goodbye. But Mom wouldn't let me. She did seem to beat me a little less than usual though. I can't be sure because I'm not sore. I'm just sad. I miss you brother. Someone has to."

I see a little bit of water...No, it's tears. There are tears on this page. A look through Nori's diary reveals none of the other pages have tears on them. She does miss him. She cried for him. Nori...I notice the last sentence of the last entry.

"If Superman or Clark Kent (whatever he wants to be called) finds me tomorrow, I'll be able to give this to him soon."

I see that the last entry was written on the day before I found her. I read the rest of it and learn that the day I found her is the day Nori's Mom died. She didn't have room to write about how she finally escaped. I look at Nori. She's looking down at the floor again.

"I guess you know now. Now you really know everything. Do you care that I lost my [brother], Pa? Do you understand? Or was he just an [otter] to you too?"

There's so much sadness in her voice. I think about what to say.

"All I can think to say to you is that I'm sorry. Does that say that I understand that he wasn't just an [otter] to you? That I know he was your [brother?]"

She nods slowly. Nori...I hug her.

"Now I know that you know I lost my [brother.] You do understand."

I nod. What else can I do? She's been through so much already.

"I also want you to know that everything will be alright."

A smile appears on her face.

"I knew that already. But thanks for reminding me Pa. It's something I really like being able to know." "Then I'll just have to tell you it as often as I can."

Her smile widens.

"I'd like that."


	5. Chapter 5

I wake up a little early the next morning, deciding to go through with a joke I thought I'd pull once. After getting dressed, I shift into an otter and head to Pa's room. Good. He's doing "Clark work". I sneak up on him, then, grinning, I pounce and land square in his lap.

"Good morning to you too!"

My grin widens.

"[Good morning Pa!]"

He reaches down. What is he going to do? He's tickling me!

"[S-Stop it!]"

I'm laughing. It feels so...I can't think of the right word. But it makes me laugh. It takes a while before I can pull myself together enough to shift back into a girl.

"I have a new bragging right today. I got to tickle an otter."

I hear a Neener-neener tone in his voice with the last sentence. I smile.

"Well, you gave said otter her first tickle. Now you have even more of a bragging right. Just don't let it go to your head."

He spreads his fingers across his chest.

"Who, me? Ma and Pa wouldn't put up with that."

I laugh again.

"Unless there's another person in the room." "Nope, just me and my [daughter.]"

I can't help but smile. I love hearing Pa speak Otter.

"So what are you working on?" "Well...I actually found this."

I look at the computer screen.

"Oh."

I don't know what to say at the sight that meets my eyes. Someone made a website memorial for my [brother.]

"W-Who made this and when?" "I don't know. But I thought you'd like to see it."

I nod as I tentatively touch my fingers to my [brother's] image.

"[Hi. It's Nori. Your sister. I miss you...But I'm glad I'm not the only one who does. Swim strong, my brother.]"

When Pa asks me what I said, I tell him. He smiles.

"You're good with words."

I shrug my shoulders.

"What can I say? It runs in my family."

His smile widens giving me a good feeling that stays with me all the way to work.

"Hey Nori. Check out who made the front page."

Jimmy hands me a copy of today's newspaper. I grin. My first front page byline. Though, technically, I made the front page twice. Of course, I can't tell Jimmy that...I hear a thump. I flinch. What was that? I look around.

Oh. It was just somebody setting down some paper. I guess with hearing (and memories) like mine, I was expecting something else. I feel a hand on my shoulder. Who's that?

I feel a little anxious as I whirl around. It's not anybody I know. Those ice-blue eyes of his...Who is this guy? I guess Lois recognizes him.

"Hi Bruce."

Is it just me or does she seem...embarrassed?

"Hi, yourself, Lois. And Hello..."

Who is he...Oh. He wants my name.

"Nori Kent. Junior reporter." "Ah. Bruce Wayne. Owner of the Daily Planet.*"

Pa smiles.

"Bruce! What brings you here from Gotham?"

I thought he wasn't from around here.

"Just checking on **my** paper." "You sure you weren't checking on someone else?"

Yeah, like me perhaps? I nervously put my hand to where...Bruce touched me. How does Pa know him? Maybe I should ask later. I'm not sure what to do. I look at my desk. There's nothing on it. Safe? I think I can trust Bruce. Pa knows him. But the...seriousness in his ice-blue eyes...I'm not sure what to think about it. I'm not sure what to think about Bruce period. What does he know about me? I start to feel anxious again. My breathing speeds up a little. Pa whispers to me in a voice only I can hear.

"It's O.K Nori. He's a friend."

I nod and whisper back.

"There's such seriousness in his eyes. What does he know about me?"

He whispers that he'll tell me later. I nod and look at my desk again. There's a piece of paper on it. When I get there, I realize it's a note. I read it in my head.

"Nori,  
I think I saw you flinch when Ron** set the papers down. Do you want to talk about it?  
Jimmy  
P.S. Feel free to talk to me any time."

I smile and grab another piece of paper.

"Jimmy,  
So that's who set down the papers. Yeah, I flinched. It startled me a little bit. When do you want to talk?  
Nori"

Jimmy's away from his desk, so I put the note down on it. Though it's not long before I get another note from him. I read this one in my head too.

"Nori,  
How's lunch sound to you? I'll tag along with you and Clark.  
Jimmy"

I see him and nod.

Soon, Jimmy, Pa, and I are at some coffee shop. I don't know why but I wasn't feeling very hungry.

"So you wanted to talk."

Jimmy nods. I pull out a copy I grabbed of the article about my time in court and hand it to him.

"Despite my I.Q, I'm not very good at talking about stuff like this."

He skims through the article.

"Nori...I..." "I know. The first time I called Clark Pa was the day after that. I don't know what else to say." "You've been through **this?**" "Jimmy...That's just scratching the surface."

I nibble my muffin, feeling kind of nervous. What's he going to say?

"I'll be your friend if you want."

I smile.

"I'd like that. I'll be your friend too."

Later, when we head out, I notice something wrong. It's my old house on fire...and there's a kid inside. Before I know it, Ottergirl's on the scene. I manage to get the kid out...But now I'm trapped!

* * *

Clark's P.O.V

* * *

I covered for Nori, but now Superman's at the scene. Nori's old house is on fire. The officer looks at me.

"Superman! Thank goodness you're here. There's a kid...No, wait, I got a new report coming in. The kid made it out. But there's still someone in there. Some hero..."

Officer Scott tells me the news.

"Oh yeah. Here we go. It's the new one. What's her name?"

No.

"Ottergirl."

**Nori!**

* * *

*This is canon, FYI.  
**Ron Troupe, Daily Planet staff member (he's in the comics too)


	6. Chapter 6

I look around feeling completely panicked. Got to get out! I shift into an otter, since I can hold my breath longer in Otter form. So scared I can't speak. At least I haven't started to hyperventilate yet. Have to get out! Pa! Where are you? I need you! I'm scared! Get me out of here!

I don't know where to go but I'll be safer upstairs. Completely and utterly terrified, I run up them. Pa! I need you! I'm really scared! I can smell something wrong. My tail. It's burning! I run to the bathroom. Given my fear, I don't know how I manage to shift back into a girl. I turn on the water. I manage to put my tail out but it hurts really bad. I take off my cape. It's too hot. I try again and again to get out. I can't. Pa! Where are you? Get me out of here! Please! I'm really scared!

I'm so scared that I'm finding it hard to concentrate on taking care of my wounds. Then again, I can't exactly do that as an otter. I try to shift back into a girl but, for the first time, I realize that I can't. Pa! Get me out of here! I need you to get me out!

* * *

Clark's P.O.V

* * *

I'm inside. I don't think I'll need backup. I just need to find Nori A.S.A.P. She needs help. It feels like an eternity but I finally find her, in Otter form, unconscious.

She's burned pretty bad. I cool her cape off, then wrap her in it. I fly out carrying her in my arms. Breathe Nori. Please. I get an air mask from one of the medics outside. **Breathe!**

It takes a while but I finally hear Nori draw a shallow breath. She's inhaled a good deal of smoke. Her eyes slowly focus on mine. She twitches her tail then winces. Looks like her tail took the most of the damage. Her voice is so weak only I can hear it.

"[Pa?]"

I fight fear from my voice.

"Are you O.K, Ottergirl?"

I can tell she's trying to shift back to give an answer. Oh No. She can't. One of the medics, Brynne, looks at me.

"She's burned pretty bad, Big Guy. You take her where you need to. I feel like she means a lot to you. So you guys go off somewhere private, O.K?"

I nod. Then, taking Nori in my arms as carefully as I can, I head to the best place I know of to have her wounds tended. Smallville.


	7. Chapter 7

So sore. At least Pa found me. Hard to stay conscious.

"Rest [my Nori.] I'm taking you somewhere [safe.]"

I can't seem to rest though.

"[Pain.]"

Obviously, Pa understood me.

"I know. We're almost there."

I nod. Hurts. The wind hurts. I wince. Pa wraps my cape around me a little tighter, blocking the wind from my scorched fur. When I'm safe inside my second home, Pa and I are instantly noticed by grandparents. Grandma ends up speaking first.

"How bad is it?" "She can't shift back."

I nod then my eyes close. But I'm instantly plunged into a nightmare.

**No!** Stay away! Don't burn me Mom! Please! It hurts! Pa, help me!

* * *

Clark's P.O.V

* * *

She's shaking inside the tub. Nightmare. Her eyes open and she looks at me.

"Can you shift back now?"

She collapses with the effort but I do see a girl in the tub.

"[Nori?]"

She nods. She looks embarrassed, no doubt knowing she has to get out of her uniform.

"I wasn't looking forward to giving you guys an anatomy lesson. My tail's really the only thing that's...different about me."

She seems so nervous. But she eventually takes her uniform off.

"Ta-da."

God. She's burned really bad. She blushes then closes the curtain.

"Class dismissed."

Nori...I use my X-ray vision to check on her. I notice her back and...I clench my fist. There's scars on it. So many scars. Is that why she was embarrassed? Why didn't I see those earlier? I realize instantly that she hid them from me. She somehow managed to hide them from me. Was she afraid to show them to me? I remember her words at the coffee shop.

"Jimmy...That's just scratching the surface."

Nori...I understand now. I'm so sorry that you felt like you had to hide those scars. You weren't sure how I'd take them, being invulnerable. I hear a whimper. But only I hear it.

"Nori, are you O.K?" "Nope."

Ma and Pa leave the room, explaining to me that they think Nori should have some father-daughter time. I nod. They're right. I do need to talk to her in private.

After they leave, Nori, seeming somewhat hesitant, pokes her head out. There's so much pain in her eyes.

"I saw your scars. Nori, why didn't you tell me?" "I wasn't really sure how. I don't like talking about them anyway."

I nod and grab the aloe.

"What's that?" She's never seen it before? "Aloe vera. It's good for burns. You almost done in there?" "Uh huh. I just think it stinks that...Well, I don't think aloe vera's good for tails. Even burned ones."

I smile.

"I'll make it work. Do you want to talk about it?" "You mean my tail?" "Well, we could talk about that and some other things. Is that O.K with you?"

She thinks about it then nods.

"That sounds O.K."

Soon, she carefully gets out of the tub. I see her wince a little bit.

"Looks like I have more explaining to do."


	8. Chapter 8

I look at Pa's familiar, kind, blue eyes.

"Where do I begin?"

He smiles.

"Wherever you want to [my Nori.]"

I nod.

"Then I'll begin with my tail. My Mom hated it. She was always trying to get rid of it but she never could. Sometimes she'd vent her frustration about that by cutting my back. I guess you saw my scars. I wasn't really sure how to tell you about them and, since I didn't really want to, I hid them in every way I could. I'm surprised I was able to hide them for so long, mainly because there's 12..." "You kept track of them?"

I nod.

"Wasn't much else I could do with them anyway. I..." My eyes well up with tears. "I'm sorry I hid them."

I blink my tears back.

"As I'm sure you know, my tail is an otter's. I don't know why I have it. I don't think I ever will. But, as you can see, it's a part of me. I...think it makes me who I am because I'm certain that I wouldn't feel like myself without it. I'm not exactly sure how much of my DNA is otter. I've tried to secretly figure out but I've never had much luck. I know I've always had my tail, much to my Mom's chagrin. What else should I tell you? Oh. I was valedictorian. I couldn't give my speech though. I had a good one but Mom burned it. As you probably know, she also burned my cap and gown. I easily managed to save my tassel but I just barely managed to save my diploma. You saw I didn't have much stuff besides that."

Pa nods as he continues to carefully apply the aloe vera.

"I didn't just wake up from nightmares. In the loosest sense of the word my life was a nightmare. You've seen my diary. The ending's kind of fitting because, well, the next day I got a new beginning. You saved me." "Well, that's what heroes do. Just about done here."

I realize he needs my tail. I place it in his hands as carefully as I can. He smiles.

"I still think it's beautiful." "Thanks. I'm glad you like my [tail] even though it's kind of a mess right now." "Nori, I like everything about you." I grin. "And I like everything about you. Even if you didn't have your powers, I'd still like you. You'd still be my hero."

Later, I'm in new clothes as I stand before my grandparents.

"Hi."

They smile at me, giving me a warm feeling that I really like. I like everything about my family. Especially knowing I have one. It tells me everything will be alright.


	9. Epilogue

Christmas

* * *

I can't seem to make my tail stay still. It's taking everything I have not to shift into an otter and run through the house. I look out the window. Pa told me that the white stuff outside is snow. I remember I made a ball out of it and threw it at him. That quickly turned into my first snowball fight. I won. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Pa's finally ready.

"[Can we go?]" He chuckles. "[Yes Nori.]"

As you can see, I taught him some more Otter. He's almost as fluent in it as I am now.

Soon we arrive in Smallville. I still can't seem to make my tail stop moving. It's twitching with excitement.

"Somebody's got ants in their pants." "Nope, just a tail." "I knew that."

We're inside and I have a huge grin on my face. Once the door's closed, I realize that I can't contain myself any longer. I shift into an otter and run around the house as I continue to grin.

"Apparently the term normal is relative in this house." "[Hi Aunt Linda!]" She chuckles. "You got that out of your system yet?" "[Nope!]"

Aunt Linda's also become really fluent in Otter.

"I figured that it couldn't hurt to ask But you can't open presents as an otter. Hi Clark." "[Watch me!]" Pa chuckles. "A for effort Kara." "Judging by the look on Nori's face, I'll take what I can get."

It's a good 10 minutes before I shift back into a girl. But I'm still grinning. I definitely have reason to.

I open my present from Pa. High Rhulain.* This book has otter on the cover too. Cool. I thank him. I can't wait to read it.

Aunt Linda gives me a new journal (I let her read my diary) and a pencil. "I figured that you might want to write some happier stories from your life." I nod and thank her.

The gift I get from my grandparents is a 1,000 piece puzzle of an otter. They got me hooked on puzzles. I thank them.

But there's still one more gift under the tree for me.

It's from Jimmy and it's on the small side. He didn't have to get me anything...Oh. It's a picture of him eating the world. I turn it around feeling kind of confused. "Who told him?" On the back are some lyrics from The Middle. Pa looks at me. "I did. I guess he came up with that gift idea." I smile. "I like it." I really like it.

Later I head outside and we all have a snowball fight. I'm still grinning. I totally got my Merry Christmas. Then again, I'm with my family. Every day's a happy one when I'm with them. Especially if they're holidays.

* * *

*another Redwall book by Brian Jacques


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